It has become increasingly common for mobile wireless devices to support communication through multiple types of access networks. For example, cell phones now commonly include at least one cellular transceiver for communicating with a cellular network and further include a WIFI interface for communicating with a wireless local area network, in addition to perhaps other interfaces.
When such a device is operating in one type of access network, it may be desirable for the device to scan for availability of coverage in another type of access network, to facilitate possible handoff to or concurrent operation in the other access network. An incentive for doing this may be to achieve reduced cost, higher signal strength, and/or faster communication speed.
For instance, while a device is being served by a macro cellular wireless network, the device may incur airtime charges and may experience inconsistent signal strength and connection speeds due to network congestion or distance from a serving cell tower. It could therefore be advantageous, when possible, for such a device to instead (or additionally) operate with WIFI connectivity or to connect with a private femtocell, which may provide the device with service at a reduced or no cost and may provide the device with improved signal strength and communication speed.